In another expansive move, The Mediapro Studio, the content arm of Grup Mediapro, has acquired Fresco Film, the doyen of Spanish production service companies.
Headed by Peter Welter, Fresco became an industry legend bringing “Game of Thrones” to Spain for Season 5, prompting Spain to introduce incentives for foreign shoots in early 2015 partly to encourage HBO to return for the rest of the series.
Fresco went on to service the Spanish shoots of “Game of Thrones” Seasons 6, 7 and 8, as well as “House of the Dragon” Seasons 1 and 2, “Westworld” Season 3, “The Blacklist,” “Narcos: Mexico,” “Killing Eve” Season 3 and movies “Spiderman: Far From Home,” “Uncharted,” “Terminator: Dark Fate” and “The Covenant.”
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Fresco Film stands out for its ability to conjure up stunning locations, such as the Bay of Biscay islet San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, which became “Game of Thrones’” Dragonstone, as well as its tax incentives management and establishment of a relationship of trust with major studios, producers and streamers. The long list of companies with which it has collaborated reads like an industry Who’s Who: Max, Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, SkyShowtime, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros. Discovery, BBC Studios, Paramount Pictures, Hulu, NBC, Peacock, Fremantle, Sky Atlantic, ZDF, ARD and ITV Studios, among many others.
Underscoring “the prestige and recognition that Fresco Film has achieved among major global production companies,” Laura Fernández Espeso commented that: “Their experience and professionalism have established them as a benchmark in the international industry, and their integration into The Mediapro Studio is excellent news, especially following the recent acquisition of Cimarrón.”
“For us, it is an honor to become part of Grup Mediapro. There are many synergies that, by joining forces, enable us to create an even greater offering in terms of production quality and, above all, human quality. Joining forces with Grup Mediapro is a dream come true, representing a logistical, creative, professional, and human expansion,” commented Peter Welter, CEO of Fresco Film.
One such synergy could be to flip a service provision into a co-production, drawing on The Mediapro Studio’s long production expertise and drive into English-language production, establishing its new U.S. H.Q. in Los Angeles.
In a deal announced in September 2023, the Mediapro Studio acquired Cimarrón, an Uruguay-based production house which has leapt to prominence as a services producer during the pandemic, servicing major productions from a string of streamers. It has gone on to set up offices in major markets in Latin America, as has The Mediapro Studio, offering another production option to the global giant.
A pioneer in sustainability, Fresco Film has maintained a dedicated department that oversees each project and shoot to ensure sustainability through environmental calculators and green suppliers.
The company has won awards from the Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) in 2015 and 2018 for its work on “Game of Thrones” and in 2020 for its services on “Killing Eve.”
